A DRIVER who walked free from court after all charges were dropped on a legal technicality will appear before a judge again next week.

Joshua Kempster, of West Meon, was cleared of dangerous driving following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court over the deaths of motorcyclists, Andrew Cuthbert and Gary Groves.

He had previously admitted to two counts of death by careless driving, but the prosecution did not accept his pleas, instead arguing for the charge of death by dangerous driving, which meant the pleas were no longer valid.

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Now the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has taken the decision to charge Kempster with two offences of causing death by careless driving. He will appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday.

A CPS spokesperson said: “Following careful review of complex legal matters, the CPS made the decision to authorise the police to charge Joshua Kempster with two offences of causing death by careless driving.

“These charges are as a result of a road traffic collision on 2 February 2020, which tragically led to the deaths of Andrew Cuthbert and Gary Groves.

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“We remind everyone that criminal proceedings against Joshua Kempster are active. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Andrew Cuthbert, aged 58, of Chase Farm Close, Waltham Chase, and Gary Groves, aged 62, of Kinsbourne Close, Southampton, died after their motorcycles were involved in a collision with Kempster’s Ford Fiesta on the B3035 near Corhampton on February 7, 2020.

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